More than 3.6 million voters cast ballots at advance polls

OTTAWA — More than 3.6 million Canadians voted at advance polls over the Thanksgiving long weekend.

Elections Canada says that’s an increase of 71 per cent over the number of advance ballots that were cast in the 2011 election.

The spike can be at least partly attributed to the fact that in the previous campaign there were only three days of advance polling.

But even on the first day, Elections Canada reported a 26-per-cent increase in the number of voters compared with the first day of advance polls in 2011, and a 90-per-cent increase over the first day of advance polls in 2008.

Long line-ups were reported Friday at polling stations, though Elections Canada said they were within normal ranges.